


Secret Rooms

by lucifersbff



Series: Vicbourne AU's [5]
Category: Victoria (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 21:04:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9289484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucifersbff/pseuds/lucifersbff
Summary: Victoria has a secret room in the palace where a visitor resides. She's always excited to get there when Albert goes away.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This written for a good friend of mine who has this ridiculous theory that Lord Melbourne didn't actually die when he did instead he said that so he could live in the palace with Victoria and they could continue talking and stuff. So I made this for her.

She was eager to escape the confines of her bedroom. She was eager to escape the watchful eyes of her husband. So she waved him goodbye as he trekked to the carriage and embarked on his usual trip to Yorkshire. He’d be back later that night, perhaps even in the morning.

If she was any sort of wife she would have gone with him the first time, she would have squashed any concern that he was cheating on her. She would have seen for herself that Albert was not that kind of man. She couldn’t help the nagging voice in the back of her mind that told her she was wrong. Which had told her the day she asked him to marry her that he was not the right man.

“I wish not to be disturbed. I will see no-one” she called out as she ran up the steps. Her petite frame running down the corridor with more life than she should have. It was not dignified to run the hall as the queen. It was not seen as regal to skip and laugh and be joyous when her husband had gone away. She supposed the servants wanted her to mope, to yearn for her husband’s return but she would not do that.

She could see the doors at the end of the corridor, she could see the candles had remained unlit like she asked them to. This was the only hallway in the palace she wanted to be left darkened. The only place that she would ever tread and she knew that they would respect her wishes.

It was almost as if the door could sense that she was there, its handle moving on its own accord as she waited impatiently for it to open. The look of surprise on the face of her guest made her smile. Green eyes stared at her as they were unaware of any meeting today. As if they had not expected her presence, like the day she had turned up at his home. When she had seen him after he had wanted to resign. To stop being her Prime Minister.

“Lord M, you look truly shocked. Do you need me to call Dr Clark?” She teased as he stood backwards and motioned her in. She did this, all the time. She would start the conversation like this as he watched her enter. His eyes full of admiration and the beginnings of tears.

She always enjoyed seeing the kind tears that filled his eyes. It reminded her that he was human, and not just one of the Whig robots. He was more than just a politician. He was a kind and honest man, which brought a smile to her face.

“Ma’am, I hardly feel that is needed. What brings you here? Another one of Albert’s outings to Yorkshire.” He asked with a smirk and she knew he understood where Albert was going. He always knew what she didn’t. It was part of his charm, he would always know what to do.

“Yes, perhaps we should go for a ride” She announced stepping towards the window, the curtains had been brushed aside to allow the light to enter. The whole room was the same as it was, a thick line of dust settled on the edges of the window panes and the bed remained kept and unchanged.

“You know that would not be wise ma’am, with me” He uttered the sombre tone he would only every use when he was trying to supress something on his chest. She’d become accustom to it whenever Albert appeared in a conversation.

“I suppose, it does look rather dreary out there.” She interrupted him as she turned to look at him.

He always looked immaculate to her, always looked as though he could charm an entire room for of women and men if he wanted. His eyes followed her as she went to the chair and table.

“I found a letter from Mama the other day after our meeting.” Victoria began a grin appearing on her face as he sat opposite her. His leg cross over the other in the usual way, and his hands resting in his lap. “She was speaking to me about Dash, she claimed he was a rodent and not a dog. Can you believe that?”

“Well the duchess has always held some contempt on anyone that you spend time with. I suppose Sir John was the influence of the letter” Lord M replied. “I once had an interesting conversation with King William about Sir John Conroy. I say interesting. We spent the evening talking about how much of a cockroach he is”

His soft chuckle filled her with happiness as he ended his sentence. She was intrigued. She wanted to know more about the conversation, she wanted to hear more stories about her uncle, and more about Lord M himself. He always made her curious, his conversation were always thrilling. She used to hate saying goodbye at the end of a night, but she had no need to now. He lived in her home. She had welcomed him after he had retired, after he had spent a good few months watching the rooks.

“I fear his is a cockroach in human form. It was dreadful when he scurried into mama’s life after father died.” She admitted her eyes looking at her hands. “I wished I had seen him, my father.”

“He was a good man, one of the best I had ever met.” He instantly said, his hand touching her own in a comforting way. It was like that time in the gardens of Brocket Hall. When she had followed her urge to visit him, and he had told her that she could not confess feelings. She had confessed and she had felt so embarrassed that once she had returned home she had hidden in her study. She wanted to see no-one but Dash, her only comfort after the experience.

Yet shortly after he had come to the palace, he had come to dance at the ball and they had danced. It was always so blissful, so perfect when they danced her hand in his, his other hand delicately resting on her back. He had dressed as her partner, or at least Elizabeth’s. She liked to think that she was Elizabeth, that she had no inclination to marry. That she could do as she pleased.

The tear slipped from her eye as she looked up at Lord M. He had crouched before her, his friendly eyes looking into her blue ones. His genuine smile on his face, she had found his smile more comforting than anything else. It was a common thing she picture on his face whenever his name was mentioned.

“Do you remember the time we bathed Dash?” She distracted herself with the question. He released her hand and stood up finding his place on the seat opposite. He chuckled as he remembered and she found herself giggling to.

“He wouldn’t stay still, if I remember correctly ma’am. You were the reason that I had to sit in the tub as well,” he paused as he looked behind Victoria. Her eyes followed him and she saw the metal tub, it had been moved when Dash passed. It had been moved here where she could see it.

“You were all wet before your meeting at parliament. However did you explain it?” Victoria quizzed. She knew the answer well.

“I was saving a drowning cat” He bellowed as they pictured the scene. She could imagine him into the water, the cold water coming to mid-thigh as he dramatically threw his hand into the water and pulled out the small kitten.

“Did they believe you?” She questioned her blue eyes lighting up as he cleared his throat.

“Well Lord Portman did but the man is as I’ve told you before a bit of a boobie. The duke did definitely not believe me. He was the one that threw a book at Edward for asking questions about the cat’s safety” He laughed. “Your father once used an excuse like that. He told the duchess, after he had been out drinking with some of the lord’s; that he was in such a state and smelt of liquor because the brewery had a fire and he heroically save the last bottle of ale.”

She laughed, she couldn’t contain it as she tried to picture her father with the bottle of ale. She laughed as she imagined her German mother scolding him in her native language and her father unaware of the terms she used.

“Victoria” a thick German accent cut through the room. Her eyes darted to find the source as panic set into her stomach. She watched as the tall male entered the room. The door closing as he scanned the room. His dark eyes searching.

“Albert, I did not think you would be home so soon” She told him as she looked back to Lord M, he sat there completely unaware of Albert. His eyes watching her as she smiled at her husband. She didn’t miss the look on his face as he stood and headed towards the window.

“I was- I cancelled my trip” He countered his eyes still looking.

“Lord M, was just telling me about my father weren’t you lord m?” She beamed as she turned to him. His eyes flickered over her face before looking to the ground. A sigh escaping his lips that was almost inaudible.

“You must know Ma’am” he whispered to her his voice almost hidden over the sound of Albert’s.

“Lord Melbourne is not here” Albert told her, “Lord Melbourne cannot be here”

She shook her head, her confusion visible as her eyes flicked back to Albert. He was turning around the room, checking under the bed as he searched for Lord M. She frowned.

“You are surely ill, Albert. Lord M-“she trailed off as she looked back to his spot. Lord M was no longer there. His smile was no longer there. His kind green eyes were no longer looking at her. He was not there.

“He was never here Victoria. Lord Melbourne died over a year ago” Albert responded.

“That’s can’t be. Lord M is not dead” she argued. “He cannot leave me like this”

“You must know that I am dead.” Lord Melbourne’s voice ghosted over her ear as she let a tear fall from her eye. As she allowed the empty feeling inside her appear again. Like it had when she heard of his death.


End file.
